Igniter



May 27, 1930. c F. LARsEN 'IGNITER Filed Dad. 27, 1926" Charles E Larsen /mz/wm ATTORNEY Patented May 27, 1930 UNITED STATES;

CHARLES I. LARSEN,

on NEW- YORK, N. Y.

IGNI'I'ER Application filed December 27, 1926, Serial No. 157,189. a

This invention relates to igniters of the pocket type in which a spark is formed by a suitable agency to ignite a wick-saturated with alcohol, gasolene, or the like. I

It is the special object of the invention to devise a construction which can be manufactured at a low cost, can be operated with one hand, and one which will function dependably. Another object is to provide the igniter with means which keep itsclosing'cap tightly shut when not in use to prevent leakage of the liq uid used as a fuel, the same means causing a quick working of the opening mechanism whereby the forming of'the spark is made certain.

With these and other objects in view, my

' invention consists in the novel combination of parts of which'a preferred embodiment is described in the following specification and illustrate 'd in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. -1 a longitudinal sectional view of the igniter in a closed or normal position; v

Fig. 2 is an exterior view of the igniter in an open or working position, showing part of the spark forming device in section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view along the plane of line 33 in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the igniter; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view along the plane of line 5-5 in Fig. 1.

Like numbers of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views and the following specification.

1Q is the container portion of the device comprising a tube having its top end flared outwardly at 11, and its bottom end threaded interior-1y to receive a knurled cap 12. 13 is'a cup-shaped cap pressed into the top end of the tube 10, its sides 14: fitting snugly the in ner diameter of the tube, its closed top 15 being substantially flush with the top end of the tube and having an opening 16- therethrough. 17 is a wick within the inner part of the cup 13 having one end projecting outwardly thereof through opening l6. 18 is a wad of absorbent material, such as cotton, which fills the inner part of the tube 10 and contacts'with wick 17. This material is saturated with a suitable liquid such as benzine, gasolene, alcohol, or the like.

19 is another tube, smaller in diameter and substantially parallel to tube 10 and fastened thereto by a rib 19*, open at its top and closed at its bottom but for a small central opening to receive a plunger rod 20 outwardly projectmg thereof and terminating in a handle knob 21 suitably fastened thereto, the other end of the plunger rod being enlar ed in'diameter at 22 to form a plunger slida lily fitted within the inner face of the tube 19. v

23 isa coil spring around the plunger rod 20 hearing against the underside of the plunger 22 and the closed bottom of the tube 19, exerting an upwardpressu-re against the plunger. lhe top of the tube is slotted at24 to receive a wheel or scraper 25 revolubly mounted within the slot upon a pin 26. About onequarter of the face of the wheel 25 is serrated as at 27. 28 is a pin of spark forming material, such as flint, soft metal, or the like, slidably mounted within the tube 19 between the wheel 25 and plunger 22, which latter, because of spring 23, forces this pin against the face of the wheel 25. 28 is an opening at the side of tube 19 to permit the pin 28 to be in sorted into this tube.

29 is a cap over the top of container 10 of substantially cup-shaped form having its open end seat on'the flared out top 11 of the container around the top of cap 13. 30 is a U-shaped extension of the cap 29 adjacent its top and fitted or, preferably, soldered to the upper face and sides of the wheel 25. 31 is a fingerpiece projecting laterally from the extension 30. Adj acentits open bottom, the cap 29 has a protuberance 32 forming a cam substantially triangular in cross section, its apex being adjacent the open bottom end of the cap, and having a base 33 form a stop for a ball-shaped terminal 34 of a spring 35 fastened securely to the side of the container 10.

lin operating my device, the fingerpiece 31 is depressed. This movement lifts the cap 29 and causes the wheel 25 to revolve about 26,

and brings the cap into the position shown in Fig. 2. In the normal or closed position, shown 1n Fig. 1, the spark forming pin 28 is held in close contact with the blank face of the wheel 25, but while being opened, the serrated face 27 of the wheel is passed over the wheel 25 is passed over the flint 28 very rapidly, resulting in the certain sparking of the-device.

The igniter described is obviously of a very I simple construction and has relatively few moving parts. The wheel which in the customary constructions heretofore in use, was a ratchet wheel operated by a pawl and serrated on its entire face, is now a plain circular disc, serrated at only a portion of its face, resulting in marked. economy of manufacture.

While I have shown the cap 29 with extension 30 and fingerpiece 31 fastened to the wheel 25, it is of course obvious that these .parts can be made as one integral unit in which case the part 25 cannot properly be called a wheel, but rather a cam.

I wish it to be understood that various other modifications in form, proportion and combination of parts may be resorted to without departing from the rinciples of the invention, as defined in t e appended claims.

What I claim as new, is:

1. In an igniter having a container for fuel-saturated cotton and a wick projecting therefrom, a sparking device comprising a wheel, having a partly'serrated face, a sparking member normally in contact with the non-serrated face of the wheel, a fingerpiecew projecting from and in y connected to the said wheel to revolve t e wheel and bring the saidserrated face in rubbing contact with I the said sparking member, a cap fastened to the said wheel, adapted to fit over the wick end of the said container when the igniter is in a closed position and adapted to revolve with the said wheel to an open position when the serrated face of the wheel is brought in contact with the said sparking member, the

said cap having a cam-like protuberance,-and

a spring secured to the container having a terminal engage the said protuberance when the cap is normally in a closed position.

2. In an i fuel-satura cotton and a wick projecting therefrom, a tube'alongside of the container wheel, a cap, tightly fitted over'the wick end my hand. I

- CHARLES E. LARSEN.

'ter having a container for holding a spark forming device, comprising a wheel revolubly mounted within a slot in the tube, having a portion of its vface serrated, a arking member normally held in contact with the non-serrated face of the said 

